The other evening, after the SXSW Evil Dead premiere, a fan likened director Fede Alvarez’s work to a rock concert - but rather than jump from song to song, Evil Dead jumps from kill to kill via adrenaline and cheering.

Death and carnage certainly steal the spotlight, but of course we do have some narrative, too. Jane Levy leads as Mia, a young woman who nearly loses her life to a drug overdose. Her brother and friends decide that that’s the last straw; they’re going to take her to their family cabin out in the woods and they’re not letting her leave until she kicks the habit for good. Little do they know, that cabin isn’t the same fun-loving place they remember from their younger years. Someone’s been there, and they’ve left a sickening dose of evil behind.

Check out what Alvarez, producer Robert G. Tapert, and franchise vet/producer Bruce Campbell had to say about this rock concert-style horror remake in the interview below.

[Warning: Evil Dead SPOILERS Ahead!!!!!]

Narrative and character development do exist in Evil Dead, but they’re almost completely overshadowed by Alvarez’s absolutely vicious show of gore. However, rather than point a finger at the director for dousing us in meaningless carnage, he goes on to earn it by composing it exceedingly well to the point of rock concert effect – the visuals are so vivacious, exciting and wonderfully shocking that every time a character bites it and turns, you’re ready to jump out of your seat, pump your fist (if that’s your thing), and cheer until the next kill rolls in.